The Celtic Star of the Decade – 1950-1959, Bobby Evans, Celtic’s Forgotten Hero

LAST WEEK we started a new series. We asked club Historian and author of countless Celtic books, David Potter to select The Celtic Star of the Decade for each and every decade since 1888.

Starting at the very beginning during Celtic’s early years, David opted for SANDY  McMAHON and you can read his Celtic story below.

Moving into the first decade of the 20th Century there really only could be one name that David Potter could opt for and that’s JIMMY QUINN who David named as The Celtic Star of the Decade for 1900-1909 Here’s why…

And David’s next pick for The Celtic Star for the club’s third decade running from 1910-1919 is none other that PATSY GALLACHER. You can read about The Mighty Atom here…

Then David Potter’s selection for the Celtic Star of the club’s fourth decade running from 1920-1929, who else could he go for but the one and only JIMMY McGRORY Read about Celtic 550 goal legend below…

Now the brief to David Potter was clear, select The Celtic Star of each decade. That means he doesn’t necessarily have to opt for a PLAYER for that decade, although it could quite easily be a former player that the Celtic historian opts for. For instance he may well opt for Jock Stein as The Celtic Star of the 1960s but he doesn’t. The ONLY decade that David has opted for a non-playing winner of The Celtic Star of the decade was the one we featured yesterday for the decade 1930-39.

Read David’s logic in choosing JIMMY McMENEMY as The Celtic Star of the Decade 1930-39 below…

And for David Potter’s selection for the Celtic Star of the club’s sixth decade running from 1940-1949, is the one and only CHARLES PATRICK TULLY.…

Today David selects The Celtic Star of the 1950s and he has opted for Celtic’s Forgotten Hero BOBBY EVANS…

7. The Celtic Star of the Decade – 1950-1959 – Bobby Evans..

“Evans, as usual, was superb”. One loses count of the amount of times that one reads that sentence in a newspaper report of either a Celtic or a Scotland game.

He was born in 1927, and in a lengthy Celtic career from 1944 until 1960, Evans played 384 times for Celtic and he was also capped 48 times for Scotland.

Instantly recognised by his bright red hair and his habit of wearing his jersey outside his pants (even though this seemed to be infringing Mr Kelly’s strict football dress code!), Evans was a regular feature of the Celtic scene, playing either at right half and being part of a half back line of Evans, Boden and Baillie, or Evans, Stein and Peacock or when Stein retired, moving to centre half an becoming part of Fernie, Evans and Peacock.

He had started off as inside left when he joined Celtic from St Anthony’s but was moved to right half in 1948 just before the infamous “relegation match” at Dens Park where Celtic saved themselves from the drop.

From then on, that position was his own, arguably his two best games being the Scottish Cup final of 1951 when Celtic at long last won the trophy after 14 years and the Coronation Cup final of 1953, when he, Jock Stein and goalkeeper Johnnie Bonnar tamed Hibs “Famous Five” forward line.

A total professional, he made no bones about the fact that he did not always get on with Charlie Tully, and on one famous occasion before the 7-1 game, they came to blows and had to be separated. They both however made it up and played superbly in the demolition of Rangers. Evans won 2 Scottish Cup medals, 2 Scottish League Cup medals and one Scottish League medal – a poor return for a man who had carried Celtic for so many years.

Yet there is an air of mystery about him as well. There are probably three questions to which one would like an answer, however.

1. Why was he suddenly sacked from the captaincy in mid-Atlantic (no kidding!) in summer 1957?

2. Why did he move to Chelsea in 1960 when it seemed sensible to finish his career with Celtic?

3. And why did Jock Stein conspicuously NOT offer him a job in 1965 in the backroom?

He was a marvellous player, and much loved by the Celtic fans. His last years after he gave up football were unhappy ones, and he died in 2001.

David Potter

Some additional reading about Bobby Evans on The Celtic Star…

Jim Craig – Bobby Evans, Celtic’s Forgotten Hero…see HERE.

Bobby Evans, a Celtic treasure, a forgotten hero….see HERE.

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